Remembering
by TheDoctorsMistress
Summary: As a child Loki had to part ways with his best friend, Sigyn, because she was moving to the realm Vanaheim. Centuries later she returns to Asgard to study healing, much to Loki's surprise and satisfaction, but soon he discovers that she has no memory of ever being in Asgard before - or of having known him.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A young girl sat on a meadow in the Realm of Asgard. She was crying silently to herself whilst pulling on a strand of the dark red hair that covered her head. She hadn't been this sad since her father had past away a few years ago.

Recently she had been informed that her and her mother were leaving Asgard – for good. Apparently her mother had been courting with the King of Vanaheim, her being a Vanir herself, and it had resulted in him asking for her hand in marriage. Of course the young girl was pleased that her mother had found happiness once more, but she just wished it had been with someone in Asgard.

Now she had to leave everything she knew behind, but most importantly; she had to leave her best friend behind, possibly never to see him again. This was the matter that had left her sobbing on the meadow – _their_ meadow.

This was the place where she had first met him – her best friend. The prince. Loki. In many ways the circumstances had been like they were now; she had been sitting there alone, sobbing over her father's death and out of nowhere this boy, slightly older than herself, had appeared. And he had helped her cope with her loss, for which she would always hold him dearly.

And now the day had come. The day she had been dreading for a while; the day when she would have to leave Asgard to return to "her true realm" as her mother had called it. Sigyn's father had, as well as her mother, been a Vanir, but they had moved to Asgard when she was just a baby, so she didn't remember ever being there. Her father had been employed at the Palace – he was a healer; the Royal healer. His job was to assist the King and his warriors, when they returned wounded from battle – or if they had been wounded during practice.

Suddenly she was ripped from her gloomy thoughts as she heard someone calling out in the distance:

"Sigyn!"

It was Loki. She stood up quickly and tried to wipe away her tears; Loki always teased her when she cried; with the exception of their first meeting.

He was approaching her fast and as he slowed down a few feet away from her, she smiled at him.

"Hello." Was all she said.

"Hi!" He gasped, trying to regain is breath. "I fe-feared you had al-ready left."

"No, not yet." She said with a sad expression on her face, as she looked up at the Sun; "not long before I have to leave, though." She stated.

"I, ehm.. I brought you a parting gift." Loki said awkwardly, as he practically shoved the small package into her hands.

"Oh.. I.. I didn't think of that; I haven't got anything for you." She said as a blush started to creep onto her cheeks.

"It's fine, I just.. I really wanted you to have this." He said and gave an encouraging nod towards the gift in her hands.

She looked up at him and smiled before ripping the paper off the package. Beneath the paper was a wooden box, she glanced at him questionably, but he merely nodded towards the box again. She opened it to find a thin golden bracelet inside. This rendered her completely speechless. Loki had given her gifts before; on her birthday and such – it had been sweets or a small birthday cake or one time a huge spider, which had made her scream and run away, but never something like this. Something so... personal. She didn't know what to say, luckily for her Loki chose this moment to step towards her, taking the bracelet out of the box, and pulling her right wrist into his hand:

"Let me help you put it on." He said as he fumbled with the tiny lock. "You see this? What looks like glass? Well.." He finally managed to lock the bracelet, and what Sigyn had assumed to be glass changed colour. She gaped at him. "I enchanted it." He said proudly.

"You made this?" Sigyn asked completely taken aback. "F-for me?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking." He said casually. "I didn't actually produce the gold, but I did choose what it should look like and enchanted it to change colour." He looked straight into her eyes, "the same way your eyes do … should you ever decide to take it off, it won't work for anyone else."

Once more Sigyn didn't know what to say. This was amazing. She had never received such a special gift before – let alone one so personal.

She felt tears fall from her eyes again. She couldn't stop them. She was so happy and so sad at the same time.

Then suddenly she bend down and picked up one of the tiny flowers that bloomed on the ground, she looked at it for a bit, before handing it to Loki.

"Here." She said simply. "Take this.. it will be my parting gift to you."

At that Loki let out a small laugh; "I mean no offence, but I think my gift was a bit more impressive."

Sigyn laughed, but still felt tears fall from her eyes. She looked down at the bracelet; it had turned slightly pink, though it seemed to be shifting into grey as well... and then black, confused as to which colour to show.

"Is it.. did I do something wrong? Is it not working properly" Loki suddenly said, as he saw the colours shifting.

"No, no.. it works just fine. I just..." she hesitated, "I'm just a little.. shifty, I suppose." She finished with a tiny giggle, before lifting her hand to wipe away the tears.

"Don't cry, Sig.." Loki said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry.." She whispered. "I'm just.. I don't know.. I don't want to leave."

"I know." He said quietly, as they both looked at the bracelet that had now gone completely black. "I don't want you to leave either."

Sigyn looked up at him and gave him a sad smile, as another stream of tears started rolling down her cheeks. Loki lifted his right hand to her cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb.

"Please don't cry.." He begged her again. "I cannot stand to see you cry."

She couldn't help but let out a small giggle; "That's funny – I remember you _making_ me cry on more than one occasion."

"Sorry." Was all he said.

"No, don't be.." She said as she looked him straight in the eyes. For a moment they just stood there; Loki's hand on her cheek, both of them staring into the other's eyes. Then Sigyn's gaze shifted towards the Sun, and she let out a heavy sigh and looked towards the ground; "I have to leave."

Then she looked up at her friend, and to her surprise she saw that a tear was rolling down his cheek. She had never seen him cry before.

Before she knew it she leaned towards him and kissed his mouth. For a moment it was all her, but then he kissed her back, and the hand that was wiping away her tears a moment ago, went to the back of her head and pressed her head slightly more towards him. Her hands were both resting against his chest.

It was over before she could even comprehend what she had done, and quickly she turned around and started to run in the direction of her home. Loki was still in awe over what had just happened, and just stood there; his eyes following the red-headed girl.

As she reached the edge of the meadow she turned around, a sad smile on her face.

"I shall never forget you, Loki." She called back to him, before turning around and disappearing between the trees.

* * *

_**AN****:**__  
Yes, once more I started a new story however I'm even more keen on getting this one out of my head, than I am with any of the other stories at the moment._

_I don't really have much to say about this "chapter" .. apart maybe from this; I imagine Sigyn to be around 13 years old here, and Loki about two years older._

_Please review, it makes me a happy bunny! (and will probably make me write even faster!)_


	2. Chapter One

_**AN****:** Sorry in advance for the shortness of this chapter; I plan to make them longer in the future._

* * *

**Chapter One – Leaving it all Behind**

In Vanaheim a young woman – a princess of sorts – stood in her chamber, in the palace with her maid, who was busy packing the princess's clothing and personal belongings. The young princess, Sigyn, was to be send to Asgard to live there. Apparently her parents, the king and queen of Vanaheim, had agreed with the king of Asgard, Odin Allfather, that she was to study magic; in particular healing magic, at their palace because she had proven to have an exceptional amount of talent for it.

It was not unheard of that people from other realms was send to Asgard to study, however it was most often warriors and such – most likely because magic wasn't a gift that many outside of Asgard possessed. Except for dwarfs of course, but as the stubborn creatures they were, they had refused to ever send a single dwarf to Asgard to study.

Sigyn stood nervously and watched as her maid put the last dress into her trunk. This was really it then. She could feel her nerves starting to creep into her stomach; she wouldn't see her parents every day, her little sister and brother, her friends; the thought alone was unbearable. She had to leave home. To go somewhere completely unknown. Somewhere intimidating; filled with talented – and probably arrogant – Gods and Goddesses. This was of course just an assumption, but still... why did she have to go alone? It wasn't fair. True, she had always prided herself upon being an independent woman, but she feared leaving her familiar surroundings would reveal the terrified little girl that she knew was in there somewhere.

Of course Sigyn was excited as well. She was going to study magic; to _improve_ her magic; something she had wanted to do for such a long time. And of course it wouldn't be all bad – surely she would meet some nice people; people she may even come to call 'friends'.

She was ripped from her train of thought as someone knocked on the door to her chambers.

"Enter." She said to whomever it was.

A young man – or rather a servant-_boy_ – entered the chamber and stopped a good few feet away from her. "Milady, Your father asks for your presence in the Throne room."

"Thank you." Was her short reply, as she turned and followed the young servant out of the chamber. She turned around to take one last look at the round room, just in case she wouldn't be returning.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

As she walked down the halls towards the Throne room she couldn't help but think of the young servant's choice of words: "Your father asks for your presence in the Throne room." _Father._ Surely the young servant, like everyone else, knew that the king wasn't in fact her father.

True, she loved him like a father – he was the only father she remembered having, and she believed him to love her like a daughter as well.

For a few years after her mother had married the king of Vanaheim, they hadn't been able to produce an heir, and the king had taken great pleasure in the one girl that he feared would be his only child; he had taught her to use a sword, how to shoot a bow and arrow, how to ride a horse – in fact it was during one of their horseback rides she discovered her gift of healing:

_Her father had fallen of his stallion and hit his head against a massive rock making blood seep from his head in an intimidatingly fast pace. Sigyn had sat beside him and wept asking him to wake up, as the blow had rendered him unconscious. She had tried to cover up the gash on his head, hoping to make the bleeding stop, and suddenly her hands had started to glow a slight yellow colour, and the gash on her father's head had started to fade._

_He woke up to see his daughter's hands above his head, glowing. He saw the blood that covered the rock and the grass, along with himself and his daughters clothing, and he was rendered speechless for a moment._

"_You... you saved me." He had stated quietly, before opening his arms towards her; "come here, my child" and embracing her._

Her mother had been pregnant with her siblings at the time, therefore she knew it was a long time ago, as the twins were already 8 years old, by Midgardian standard. It was funny really; in many ways it felt like a lifetime ago and yet she remembered it in such vivid detail, one could think it had happened the previous day.

As she walked down the halls she looked at her bracelet, resting in it's place around her right wrist. Her enchanted bracelet. She did not remember where she had gotten it, but she held it very dearly; more dearly than any other thing she possessed.

It changed colour according to her mood; at the moment it held its normal purple colour, but at the time of her father's accident it had been pitch black; she hadn't experienced that before the accident, and neither had she seen it happen after.

Before she knew it she was at the doors leading into the Throne room. She stepped in carefully and walked the aisle towards the throne. When her mother noticed her approaching she gave her a warm, if slightly sad, smile. Sigyn stopped in front of her father and gave a slight curtsey.

"Father, you wished to see me?" She asked, though she was sure she already knew what her parents wanted.

"Yes, my sweet, have you finished packing?" He asked.

"I have, father. I am quite ready." She answered and gave a brave smile.

"Very well. You will be escorted to the Bifrost landing site and then the Gatekeeper, Heimdall, will open the Bifrost and lead you to Asgard." The king said. Sigyn noted her father's eyes was shining; she hadn't seen them like that since her brother and sister were born.

"Yes, father." Sigyn said and bowed her head. She could feel the tears pressing on behind her eyelids.

The king stood up and walked down to his daughter and embraced her dearly. Sigyn threw her arms around her father's middle and hugged him more tightly than she ever had. She hadn't realised until now, just how much she would miss her parents. She started to weep into his chest.

"It's all right, my child." He spoke softly, "after all it's not goodbye, merely farewell for now."

She nodded, though still holding firmly onto her father.

After a few moments she pulled back and gave him a sad smile. Then her mother came down and hugged her as well, followed by her young siblings, who didn't quite understand what was happening. Sigyn kissed both her siblings on the forehead, before saying her goodbyes to them all and leaving the Throne room, the Palace, the Realm, her whole _life_ behind her.

* * *

_**AN****:**  
__Not really the most interesting of chapters, I know.. however it had to be done, as it held some important information._

_I imagine this to be taking place 10-13 years after the prologue (just in case you were wondering)_

_Next up; Sigyn's arrival in Asgard and her first encounter with the Royal family *ooooh*_


	3. Chapter Two

_**AN:** I apologize in advance if some (or hopefully not; ALL) of this is badly written.. I have been struck by the flu, and therefore my brain doesn't function as well as it normally does. However I really wanted to get on with the story, so this is how it happens:_

* * *

**Chapter Two – Someone You used to Know  
**

In the Throne room in the Realm of Asgard sat the King and Queen, waiting for the princess of Vanaheim to arrive. They were, however, also awaiting the arrival of their two sons, Thor and Loki, who had decided not to show up at the given time. Normally the royal family did not greet new citizens of Asgard, however as this was a princess, the King and Queen had thought it very important that not only they, but their sons as well, welcomed her.

"I can't believe they would do this. I told them to be here, and now-" Before the Queen could finish her sentence, her oldest son, Thor, interrupted her, as the two brothers entered the hall.

"Oh, you can relax now, Mother. We are both here; ready to greet the lovely princess."

Loki looked at his older brother, "have you met her?"

"No." His brother answered simply.

"Then how do you know she's lovely?" Loki questioned.

"Well.. aren't all princesses lovely?" Thor answered with a cheeky grin, before taking his place by his father's side. "Now loosen up brother, or I fear you will scare her away."

Loki rolled his eyes at his brother's words, and stepped up to take his seat next to his mother. A few minutes later the doors to the hall opened and a guard entered. He stepped towards the throne and bowed before the royal family .

"My King.." he said before straightening up, "Princess Sigyn of Vanaheim has arrived."

When Loki heard the name of the Princess, his gaze shifted between the doors and the guard; could it be her? No, _no_.. the Sigyn he once knew did not have magic. Unless of course she hadn't discovered her abilities until after she had left Asgard? _No, this is ridiculous,_ he thought to himself; trying not to raise hope for what probably would not happen; _Sigyn was not a princess. She was the daughter of a healer... A healer? ...but then perhaps she inherited her father's gift, _the little voice inside his mind tried to convince him, _but that does not explain the title of 'princess'!_ Had her mother married the King? No, that was absurd.. but as Loki thought back he remembered how Sigyn had been reluctant to tell who her mother was to marry; saying that it was of no importance.

Loki straightened in his seat, as he heard footsteps approach the doors; he had been too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the guard had left the hall.

The sound of footsteps became louder and clearer; in stepped a young woman with hair the colour of blood.. _same hair, same name,_ Loki reassured himself. She was still quite far away, so he was yet to get a better look of her face.

"Allfather." She said softly as she bowed before him.

"Stand, child." Odin said with an equally soft voice. "Welcome to Asgard." He said as she stood up and raised her head to look at him.

"Thank you, my Lord." She said and gave a kind smile. "I am very glad to be here."

"I trust your journey went well?" He asked.

"Very much so, my Lord." Was her answer.

"Very well.." he said shortly, before shifting his gaze to his wife, "this is my wife; Queen Frigga."

"It is lovely to meet you, dear." The Queen said kindly and gave Sigyn a reassuring smile.

Sigyn curtseyed, "milady... My mother sends her regards."

"Oh." The Queen answered, slightly surprised, "I trust your mother is well?"

"Very well, milady." Sigyn answered, with a kind smile.

"That is good to hear." The Queen said, before silence struck, and the King chose to continue with his introductions:

"And these are our sons.." he said, gesturing towards the blond, who was now approaching her, "Thor" the King said as the blond prince took Sigyn's hand and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles. And then the dark-haired son approached her, and did as his brother before him, "and Loki." Odin said.

Sigyn's eyes shifted first to the blond son and then to the one with dark hair. She had not looked at them when she had first entered the room, and only now she noticed the odd expression of the dark-haired son.. Loki. He was staring at her; not in a disturbing way.. not really; more in an excited way; like he was pleased to see her. _Strange,_ she thought to herself.

Only now did she realise how her nerves seem to be getting wound up again; butterflies dashing about inside her stomach. Her left hand grabbed her right wrist and started fiddling with her bracelet, through the long sleeve that covered it; She always fiddled with her bracelet when she was nervous; it seemed to calm her down. Her gaze was on the floor, but quickly she thought that it may seem rude and raised her eyes only to find those of the youngest prince. _Green eyes, _she noted.

As her eyes met Loki's, he shifted his gaze and in stead observed her hands._ The bracelet,_ he thought as he took in how she fiddled with something around her right wrist; this made the small amount of doubt he still felt, vanish completely; this was without a doubt his Sigyn.

He did not know how long he stood there staring at her hands, in the blissful knowledge that his friend had finally returned to Asgard.. but he was brought back as he heard his father speak again:

"Your chambers are in the west wing of the Palace." He told her. "Lady Sif and Lady Idunn's chambers are also in the west wing. I have no doubt they will help you, should you need anything."

After a moment of silence the Queen spoke:

"And of course you can always come to us, if you need anything as well." she said and gave a warm smile.

"Thank you, milady." Sigyn answered shortly.

"If you have no further inquiries, we shall let you go and get yourself sorted." The King said.

"Thank you, my Lord" she said, before bowing and leaving the hall, not feeling the stare from the youngest prince on the back of her head.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

A guard had shown Sigyn the way to her chambers; as she entered the large circular room she noticed her trunk was already there and had been emptied, undoubtedly by one of the countless maids she had seen wondering around the palace.

She walked through the room towards two large doors, on the other side of which was a balcony. Sigyn smiled to herself; in the palace in Vanaheim she did not have a balcony, but had always desired to have one.. and now she did. She went out onto the large balcony and took in the stunning view of Asgard; beneath her balcony lay a gorgeous garden; one of many, no doubt, and looking towards the horizon she could see loads of golden mansions, some forests, monuments, meadows. Sigyn let out a content sigh; she could definitely get used to living here.

"I take it you like what you see?" A male voice suddenly said from behind her. Startled she turned around to see the younger of the princes; the dark-haired one, Loki.

"My Lord.." she said and curtseyed, "I apologize, but I did not hear you entering."

"Such formality.. why is this I wonder?" Loki said.

"I am not sure I understand what you mean, my Lord" Sigyn said somewhat confused.

"There it is again; _my Lord_..." he said.

"I am confused. Would you rather I address you 'my Prince'?" she asked.

"No... why don't you call me by my name?" Loki asked, growing confused as well.

"I apologize. I am not used to it being expected." She excused, "in Vanaheim we do not call people we've only just met by their name.."

"Only just met?" Loki repeated started, "Sigyn.. tell me you remember who I am?"

"Ehm.. you are the Prince of Asgard?" Sigyn answered very unsure of what the Prince was expecting her to answer.

"No, no.. well, yes, but.." he hesitated, "do you not remember how we played together as children? How you were my... friend?"

"I am truly sorry, my Lord, but I do not believe I have ever laid eyes upon you, before I saw you in the throne room." She said truthfully.

"Are you mocking me?" Loki asked.

"I would not dare to do so, my Lord." Sigyn answered.

"Oh.." The Prince said followed by a moment of silence. "I beg you to forgive my behaviour, Lady Sigyn. It appears I have made a mistake; I believed you to be someone I used to know, but it would seem not."

"It is quite all right, my Lord." She said with an understanding smile. "It could happen to anyone."

For a moment neither of them spoke, but then the Prince broke the silence, "would it be too much to ask you to forget my forwardness before, and start afresh?"

"I would be delighted to, my Lord" She answered, once again with a smile.

"Thank you." Loki said, returning the smile. He looked at her hands, which she had entwined before her and said, "Then, Lady Sigyn, I shall leave you to once more enjoy the view of Asgard." and before turning away from her gaze he nodded his head towards her hands as he said, "I like your bracelet."

For some reason that statement surprised the young Princess, who looked down at her bracelet and then towards the Prince, but he had already vanished from her balcony, and her chambers even. _That was odd,_ she thought to herself, _very odd, _but she couldn't help but be intrigued by the youngest prince.

* * *

_**AN:** I have a question regarding this site; I often use "-" that little line their to indicate pauses and such, however when I uploaded my prologue and chapter one, they seemed to vanish from the documents - as well as ; and : before dialogue... would anyone know what is up with that; and how to make it not happen? I tried putting it back in the editor on here, however they still vanished? I really hate it, cause it comes very natural to me to use these things, and to me it looks wrong without it =/ ..hopefully one of you know how to avoid this :)_

_Also thank you so so much to you all for reading; I got 10 favs/alerts and 1 review, which made me a very happy bunny. =)_

_I'll try to get the next chapter up soon - maybe we'll find out why Sigyn doesn't remember Loki? Stay tuned..._


	4. Chapter Three

_**AN:** A bit of girl bonding in this one; Sigyn meets her "flat-mates" (at least in a way that is what they are =P)... Sorry in advance to anyone who was looking forward to any interaction between Loki and Sigyn, but Loki doesn't actually appear in this chapter - but do not worry, he is mentioned (quite a lot, actually). Maybe the lack of Loki is why I have mixed feelings about this chapter?_

_Thanks to everyone who faved and added to alerts.. (remember: Reviews are VERY MUCH appreciated) - and thanks to _Jenny Joker_ for the review!_

_Anyways.. I hope you enjoy:_

* * *

**Chapter Three - A Friendly Warning**

Later in the evening Sigyn emerged from her chambers; she had been asked to dine with Lady Sif and Lady Idunn. Upon leaving her chambers, she came to realise that she didn't actually know where she was suppose to find the dining area. She looked up and down the halls, hoping to spot a guard somewhere, when suddenly she heard a loud female laughter – no wait.. two female laughters, and she decided to walk towards the sound, hoping it would be the two women she was suppose to meet with.

As Sigyn hesitantly entered the large room from where the laughter had come, she saw two women, who she assumed to be Lady Sif and Lady Idunn, sitting in a sofa. When they noticed her approach they both stood up and walked towards her, both smiling sweetly.

"Hello!" the one with dark hair exclaimed. "You must be Lady Sigyn? It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Sif and this-" she turned her attention towards the other woman, "is Lady Idunn."

Sigyn gave them a kind smile, "I am very pleased to meet you both." she said.

As she looked at the two women standing before her, she couldn't help but notice how they were like night and day, at least when it came to their appearances; Lady Sif had dark straight hair, wore a pair of dark trousers and a dark red tunic. Lady Idunn however had fair golden hair with curls and was wearing a long pale dress.

"Well, now that you have arrived, we should probably eat before the food gets cold." Sif said as she gestured towards the big table standing in the middle of the room.

"Sif, you didn't tell me what happened after you managed to knock Thor to the ground." Lady Idunn suddenly spoke; Sigyn assumed she was continuing the conversation they had before she had arrived.

"Oh, you know.. I said something snide about him getting beaten by a girl, and then I helped him up." Lady Sif answered in a very casual tone, though Sigyn noticed a hint of a blush emerging on her cheeks.

"Oh. That's rather disappointing." Lady Idunn said and gave the other woman a funny look.

"Yes, I know.. but I could never hurt Thor." Lady Sif said with a sigh. "He may be irritating at times, but I would just.. oh, I don't know." She left her answer hanging and in stead took a sip of her drink.

"I know.. I know.." Lady Idunn spoke before shifting her gaze to Sigyn, "now, my Lady Sigyn.. tell us about yourself. You are from Vanaheim are you not?"

Sigyn was slightly surprised at the sudden change of subject to her own persona, but answered non the less, "Yes, I am from Vanaheim."

Then Lady Sif cut in, "and.. is it true that you are a princess? Thor told me you were, but.."

"Well.. yes.. I am." Sigyn said quietly as she looked down and started fiddling with her bracelet. "In a way. My mother is married to the king, however he is not my father." She looked up to see their reaction, "I love him as much as any daughter loves her father, but I am not one of _his_ children."

Both Lady Sif and Lady Idunn gave an understanding nod and a smile, before Lady Sif spoke:

"What does that mean, then?" she asked. "I mean.. does it make you any less of a princess than your siblings.. if you have any siblings, of course."

Sigyn thought carefully before answering, "Ehm, that depends on what you mean by 'any less princess' compared to my younger sister. I suppose not. I have a younger brother and sister, and according to our laws males are first in the line of succession, so my younger brother will be king one day. However as my younger sister is a child of the king by blood she is also above me in the line of succession, and that too is the case if my parents should have any more children."

"If I am not mistaken I believe that is quite a normal succession law in Midgard as well." Lady Idunn said, "...at least that is what I have read."

"That is so unfair!" Lady Sif said loudly, "why is a woman less fit to rule than a man?"

"I don't know.." Sigyn said softly, "however I cannot say that I mind as I would never wish to be queen."

"Why ever not?" Lady Idunn asked.

Sigyn shrugged. "I suppose I just don't see the appeal of it." She said, "it is nothing but responsibilities, and I think I would prefer a normal life in stead."

Lady Idunn let out a small giggle before talking, "I apologise, but.. well, you would not know what a normal life is, would you? You may not get to be queen, but you are still royalty."

Sigyn didn't know how to reply, so she simply shrugged as she reached for her glass and took a sip, before trying to change the subject, "Surely, that must be enough about me for now.. tell me about the two of you, or about Asgard; I know very little of Asgard... or... about the two princes." She suggested.

The two women looked at each other before agreeing in silence who should speak and turning their gazes back to Sigyn.

"Well, let's start with the princes then." Lady Sif said with a smirk, "what better way for three women to bond, but over the subject of men."

"And also you might as well be warned about them to begin with.." Lady Idunn interjected.

"Warned?" Sigyn asked raising an eyebrow, "surely they cannot be that bad."

Once more Lady Sif and Lady Idunn shared a look, before Lady Idunn replied, "Well, it really depends on how you get along with them, I suppose." She stopped and thought for a second before continuing, "should you befriend Thor, he will probably show you the same amount of respect that you show him.. but he is not the one you should be worried about."

Sigyn furrowed her brows, "Oh? ...The other one then? Loki?"

"Yes, Loki." Lady Idunn sighed, "he is much more.. complex..."

"I believe 'evil' is the word you meant to say." Lady Sif interjected silently.

"Evil?" Sigyn gasped.

"Hush now, Sif.. you shouldn't say things like that." Lady Idunn warned, though in a kind tone, "besides it is wrong of us to fill Lady Sigyn's head with our own opinions, in stead of letting her form one of her own."

"What.. why did you say 'evil'?" Sigyn asked confused. "Surely you must be exaggerating."

Lady Sif was about to answer, but Lady Idunn cut her off, "Yes, she _is_ exaggerating." She said, "however Sif herself does not believe she is." She added as she saw Lady Sif was about to deny it.

"Ehm.. right." Sigyn answered silently; still very confused.

A moment of silence followed before Lady Sif spoke, "Idunn, I admit you are right about Lady Sigyn having the right to form her own opinion on Loki, however she should still be told of some of the things he does, so she knows what to watch out for."

Sigyn looked startled at Lady Sif, "I must admit, my Lady Sif, you are starting to frighten me slightly."

Lady Sif's hard eyes quickly softened, when she heard what Sigyn said. "My apologies. I did not mean to alarm you, but I just do not want to see you get hurt, because you didn't know what to expect from him." Lady Sif paused. "Lady Idunn was right; I was exaggerating. Loki is not evil, he is just.. Loki, I suppose. _God of Mischief._"

Sigyn still did not understand anything; well, yes, when she heard the words 'God of mischief' she assumed the prince was somewhat a trickster, but surely there would be more than a fine line between being mischievous and _evil_?

Lady Idunn decided to take over for Lady Sif, "the thing is: Loki does as Loki pleases. If he is bored, he will find a way to amuse himself. If he finds you annoying, threatened by you or envy you for what ever reason, he may find it funny to play a trick on you." She paused for a moment, considering her next words carefully, "and sometimes his tricks can be... bad." Lady Idunn noticed the slightly horrified expression on Sigyn's face and added, "I do not think he intends them to be bad, but sometimes he may not.. consider the consequences before he decides to, ehm.. trick you."

"I see.." Was the only thing Sigyn could think to say. "And.. does he do these _tricks_ often?"

Lady Sif and Lady Idunn glanced at each other before Lady Sif replied, "well.. yes, but he hasn't done too many bad things in recent years.. You should have seen him when he was younger! Those were _not_ the most pleasant of times."

"What did he do that was so bad?" Sigyn asked.

"Lady Idunn spoke before Lady Sif could reply, "Do you see Sif's hair?" Sigyn nodded. "Well.. it was not always that colour. Until some years ago Sif's hair was as golden as the palace itself. However for some reason unknown to me, one night Loki decided to remove Sif's hair. Permanently." Lady Idunn said darkly.

"_Some reason unknown to you_?" Lady Sif asked her friend in disbelief, "I told you he did it out of jealousy!" She practically yelled. "He was jealous because Thor had taken a liking to me, and was spending more time with me rather than him.. and he has always been jealous of every Æsir's hair, because his own hair is as black as the night."

This surprised Sigyn. The youngest prince had actually stolen Sif's hair.. out of nothing but jealousy? That really was... something. Goodhearted as Sigyn was she still thought that calling Loki 'evil' was harsh, but she was starting to understand why Lady Sif had chosen that word.

Lady Idunn noticed the mix of horror and compassion on Sigyn's face and decided to speak once more, "however now a days he is not that bad. Mostly he just.. turns peoples wine into snakes or.. turn the milk sour. Just.. harmless things, really." she assured her.

"So my main focus should be whether my glass suddenly starts to stir?" Sigyn asked jokingly as the other two women laughed.

As the hours went by the three women got to know each other better and better. At some point they decided to skip the formality of addressing each other 'Lady', and they shared many laughs.

Sigyn learned that Sif had a soft spot, when it came to Thor. Idunn was being courted by a young man named Bragi, and apparently it was becoming more and more serious between the two. Sif and Idunn told her about some of the other Gods and Goddesses, who lived in the palace as well; Freya, who was somewhat a tease and would flirt with every man within sight – however she was now betrothed and would only flirt with others, when her fiancé left the Realm for what ever reason. The Warriors Three who spend most of their time sparring with Thor and Sif on the training grounds behind the palace. When not sparring Volstagg, one of the Three, would eat and drink and amuse others with his tales; Hogun, another of the Three, would sit beside Volstagg listening to his stories and mostly keep quiet and Fandral, the last of the Three, would try to find a young maiden beautiful enough to bear his children – or one to at least help keep his bed warm in the night.

As the morning approached the three women decided it was time for them to separate, and on her way back to her chambers, Sigyn could not keep the smile of her face; her fear of not gaining any close friends had just vanished completely.

* * *

_**AN:** So yeah.. as I mentioned at the top; I have very mixed feelings about this. In a way it feels like a sort of "filler" but I really wanted Sigyn to be introduced to some potential friends, and I really wanted Sif to "warn her" about Loki, and just to have Sigyn hear others' opinion on Loki and his mischief. =)_

_Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.. until then: Please let me know what you think by hitting the review-button (yup, the one right down there... go on; it doesn't bite!)_


	5. Chapter Four

_**AN****:** Thank you so much to portlandia21, TwilightTwihardFanFictioner and Misplaced Matches, who reviewed the last chapter; it means the world to me! =)_

_And also a huge thanks to those who fav'ed and added the story to their alerts!_

_Without further nonsense, I give you the fourth chapter:_

* * *

**Chapter Four – Two Introductions and an Exchange**

Sigyn was awoken the next morning by a sudden knock on her door. She cleared her throat before telling whoever it was to enter.

"Good morning, milady" The chipper voice of a young servant girl spoke as the door opened. "I trust you slept well?"

Sigyn looked up at the young girl and smiled, "very well, yes, thank you."

The servant girl came to the bedside table and sat a tray of breakfast on it. Sigyn couldn't help but smile at the sight of the delicious food; there were various kinds of fruit, some bread, eggs, juice, milk, and what looked like a small cake. The servant girl noticed Sigyn watching the tray and said:

"I didn't know what you liked to eat for breakfast, so I decided to bring you a bit of everything." The servant girl gave Sigyn a kind smile.

"That was very considerate of you. Thank you." Said Sigyn and smiled back at the young girl.

The servant girl went to Sigyn's wardrobe, and Sigyn watched in surprise as the young girl swiftly pulled out a simple light dress and hung it by the mirror – as Sigyn eyed the dress she noticed that it was not one she had brought to Asgard herself. Then she remembered that she was suppose to start her healing training today, and quickly reached the conclusion that this was a dress she was suppose to wear for that. _I didn't think there was a dress code for healing training,_ she thought. _Oh, well._

Sigyn went to sit at a small table by one of the windows, bringing the tray of food with her; she didn't feel comfortable eating in bed when someone was moving around her room, preparing her things and cleaning up what ever mess she should have left lying around.

Her gaze followed the young servant, who was currently making her bed; she didn't look to be much younger than Sigyn was. However she was much shorter than the princess was, but most women here were; Sigyn wasn't freakishly tall, in fact where she came from her height was very average, however the women of Asgard were all at least a half head shorter than the princess. She didn't know whether to be annoyed by this or not; another thing that would make her stand out in a crowd, as if her practically milk-white skin, purple eyes and deep red hair wasn't enough to tell her apart from the Asgardians with their golden hair and bright blue eyes.

"Milady, would you like me to help you get dressed and braid your hair?" The servant girl suddenly asked, ripping Sigyn from her train of thought.

"Ehm.. yes, that would be lovely, thank you." She answered.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

Not much time past before the young princess found herself wandering the halls of the Palace. The servant girl – who's name she now knew to be Lia – had told her how to get to the Infirmary; she had even offered to show Sigyn around the Palace if she wanted. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of the young servant girl; she seemed so kind and spirited.

As Sigyn turned another corner she found what she had been searching for – the Infirmary. She entered a large circular room, which didn't contain much furniture; at least not as much as Sigyn would have expected to find in an infirmary.

Suddenly a door at the other end of the room opened, and an older woman with a stern expression entered. Like Sigyn she was also wearing a light dress, and her bright hair seemed to be braided as well and collected in a large bun on the top of her scalp.

"Hello." The woman said as she stopped in front of the princess. "My name is Lady Snotra and I will be teaching you to control your healing."

Sigyn simply offered a kind smile in reply.

"Have you received any previous training?" The woman asked.

"No."

"Very well then. I believe we should begin by sending you to study a book or two in the library first. You will hardly be able to perform if you have not read anything on the subject." She said as she turned and went to a table and scribbled down something on a piece of paper, before returning to the princess. "Go to the library and find this book," she said as she handed over the piece of paper, "it is a very thick book, so I doubt you will be able to finish it today. If you do finish it today, come back to the infirmary; if you do not finish it, come back tomorrow at midday.

"I, ehm.. yes, ma'am." Was all Sigyn could manage to say. She was slightly put off by this woman; she was obviously very strict and controlling.

"Now then.. off you go." Lady Snotra said as she waved her hands towards the door, like one would shoo away a puppy.

Sigyn found herself turning around awkwardly and heading towards the halls, not even knowing where to find the library.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

When Sigyn finally managed to locate the library she was rendered completely speechless at the sight; it was _huge, _to say the least. She saw large glass bookcases that went from floor to ceiling – which was about 10 meters, she guessed – was standing as far as the eye could reach. Ladders were placed strategically by the bookcases, and at the end of the aisles stood some small tables along with some very comfortable looking chairs.

Sigyn looked at the small golden signs that were placed at the end of each aisle of bookcases and started searching for the aisle containing books on 'healing'. She quickly found what she had been looking for, and went to one of the tables to study her book.

An hour or so later, Sigyn found herself being very bored by the book – despite having looked forward to studying healing and magic in general, she had no doubt in her mind that Lady Snotra had deliberately picked the least interesting book for her to study.

In fear of falling asleep Sigyn decided to go around exploring the enormous library. She found herself drawn to one of the rows filled with Midgardian books; Everything from histories of the various countries and cultures to fairytales and myths. Before she knew it she had climbed one of the ladders and reached the high shelf where the fairytales were. She looked over the shelf, but couldn't decide which book to take – she was stuck between one that read 'The Complete Fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen' and one called 'Tales from The Brothers Grimm' – these were the two thickest books on the shelf, and she thought they would most likely be the most interesting, so she eventually decided to take both books. Trying her best to balance the two thick volumes on her one arm while holding on to the ladder with her free hand, she slowly started to move her feet down, one step at the time.

"I believe you are in the wrong part of the library." A male voice suddenly rang from beneath her. She couldn't see who it was, and tried her best to look at the person; however shifting her focus from the steps seemed to be a bad decision, as suddenly she felt herself slip from the ladder and fall towards the floor.

As soon as the thought of hitting the hard stone floor reached her mind she felt herself land on something soft.. and big. Sigyn removed the hair that had fallen into her face and looked around her, and indeed she was now lying on an abnormally large cushion. _What in the worlds,_ she thought, as she suddenly remembered the reason she had fallen in the first place, and looked up to see non other than a smirking Prince Loki standing before her. She quickly – and awkwardly – slipped off the cushion and curtseyed before the prince.

"My Lord." She said slightly startled as she looked towards the floor.

"You were very lucky I was here." He said simply, completely ignoring her formalities. Sigyn looked back up at his still smirking features, "that was quite a fall."

_I wouldn't have fallen in the first place, if you hadn't startled me,_ she thought, however that was not what came out of her mouth, "yes.. I.. thank you, my Lord." She said as her gaze shifted between the Prince and the spot where the cushion had just been lying. _Conjuring items must be one of his tricks._

"Oh, it's no matter." The Prince said as he turned to pick up her books, which had of course also fallen to the floor when she had slipped and fell. He glanced at the covers of the two books before talking; "fairytales from Midgard?" He looked up into her eyes, "A little bird told me you had started your healing training today.. somehow I doubt this is what you are suppose to be reading." He said with a raised eyebrow and the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Sigyn felt the warmth in her face; she didn't need a mirror to know her cheeks were completely flushed from embarrassment. "I.. I.. ehm.." she couldn't think of what to say.

The Prince seemed to ignore her stuttering attempt at a reply, and walked slowly towards the table where the book she had been sent to study laid wide open. He looked down at it before lifting his face, once more looking at Sigyn with a slight smirk;

"I can understand why you would rather read Midgardian fairytales.. This" he gestured towards the open book on the table, "is one of the dullest books on the subject of healing magic. Not to mention the fact that you'll learn absolutely nothing by reading it." He looked back up at Sigyn's gaping face, "really, you may as well just continue with your fairytales and when asked just say that you have read the whole book. She won't be able to tell whether or not it's the truth."

Sigyn looked at him for a moment, not able to figure out whether he was being sarcastic or not, "lying to her on my first day will hardly make her like me, should she figure it out."

"Ah, that is true." He said with a smirk, "but like I told you; she won't be able to tell. That is how useless that book is!"

Sigyn looked towards the ground – she was confused; _is this one of the tricks Sif and Idunn was telling me to look out for,_ she thought to herself, _or maybe he's just trying to be nice.. after that misunderstanding yesterday?_ She looked back up at him; he was watching her as well.

"I should probably read it, though.." She said in a low voice, "just in case."

"In case of what?" Loki asked her teasingly, "I won't tell her if you won't," he assured her.

Sigyn just looked at him, not sure of what to say. She couldn't help but be wary after what she'd heard of him; _what if he's lying,_ she thought, _maybe he knows that Lady Snotra will be testing me? But.. the book really is boring and I haven't learned anything from reading it, have I?_

Suddenly Loki faced away and started walking towards the aisle where the books on healing were. He glanced over the many books before him, as if he was looking for something in particular. He swiftly moved one of his hands before him, and a single book popped out on one of the shelves, he took it and walked back to Sigyn, who was staring at him in confusion – and slight awe.

"I take it from your silence that you are not too keen on the idea of not studying.. but I insist if you must study healing magic at least do it by reading this book in stead." He said and passed the book he'd picked off the shelf to Sigyn. "Now you may even end up impressing Lady Snotra with your knowledge." He said, wearing the tiniest hint of a smile.

"I.. ehm.." Sigyn looked up at him, "thank you.. My Lord. "

"You are most certainly welcome, little princess," he said and bowed his head to her, "I better leave you to your books then." He said finally before turning and leaving the library.

Sigyn stared after him as he walked away. She found that every minute she spent in the Prince's company only made her more confused about him.. and yet she felt herself being slightly drawn by him. She couldn't help but shake her head at her own thoughts; she lowered her gaze to the book the Prince had picked out for her, and sat down once more to study.

* * *

_**AN****:** Now this was a chapter I had planned in my head from the beginning, so I expected it to be easy as hell to write - turns out it wasn't *sigh* It did not want to come out at all.. I've made a promise to myself that I would upload a chapter at least once a week, so I'll have to apologise to you all for not updating it on Saturday, which was a week from the last chapter update; I wanna say "it won't happen again" but I'll be honest and say that it probably will at some point. =I  
_

_Anyway.. the library thing was sort of inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the Once Upon a Time episode "Skin Deep" (which is also Beauty and the Beast, really.) =P ...it didn't end up being to similar though, which it was in my head - but like I said it didn't want to come out._

_Please review and all that - it makes me want to write this even faster!_


	6. Chapter Five

_**AN:** First of all I want to apologize for taking so long to upload this chapter; I've been quite busy for the past two weeks, my daughter has been sick, and also the chapter just gave me a hard time.. but non the less, here it is; finished!  
As a reward for your patience I give you a 700(-ish) words longer chapter, than the longest chapter so far..._

_A huge thanks to:_ lupine-eyes_, _mischievous-doe_, _SailorVeegan_,_ pointyearsrule_ and _H. Lokidottir_ for reviewing the last chapter.  
_

_Oh, yes..and a warning before I disappoint/anger anyone: You will not find out why Sigyn doesn't remember Loki, or ever being in Asgard in this chapter... BUT it will come up in the next one.. promise! ;)_

_And now let's get on with the story..._

* * *

**Chapter Five – A Feast**

Hours later Sigyn found herself almost finished with the book Loki had given her; she had to admit it was _much_ more informative than the one Lady Snotra had chosen for her – and less dull too.

However now Sigyn had gone back to her chambers to change her clothes and overall make herself more presentable, as there was to be held a feast to celebrate her arrival in Asgard. Personally she thought it sounded too extravagant for her taste, however the King and Queen had insisted, and said it would be a wonderful way for her to meet all the noblemen, Gods and Goddesses. Sigyn wasn't really a shy girl, however she couldn't help but think that most people at the feast would spend the majority of their time staring at her and making snide comments, and that thought made her feel slightly on edge.

Luckily at the present time she did not think much of this as her maid, Lia, was telling her amusing stories of some of the guests that would be attending the feast, whilst she helped the princess put on the elegant dark blue dress, she had picked out for the occasion.

"...but really, milady, you shouldn't feel intimidated by any of the women at the feast." Lia said after finishing another story, "if they speak badly of you it will be out of nothing but jealousy, because it is unthinkable that any of them will look half as beautiful as you." The young maid finished in a comforting, yet confident, voice, before smiling sweetly at the Princess.

Sigyn couldn't help but smile back at her; despite only having known her for a day, Sigyn felt very comfortable with her; "thank you, sweet Lia.. you seem to have a talent for calming my nerves." She took the maid's hand and squeezed it, "and I beg you, please call me 'Sigyn', not 'milady' … at least when we are alone."

Lia looked up into the Princess's eyes, "as milady wishes." She said with a grin, and Sigyn found herself unable not to smile at the comment.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and the two women quickly exchanged looks before Lia went to see who it was.

"Milady, it is Prince Thor." Lia stated.

"Oh, ehm.. let him in." Sigyn said slightly taken aback, as she had not spoken to the prince at all since her arrival the day before.

Thor entered the room, but made a sudden stop accompanied by an almost inaudible gasp, when he laid eyes on Sigyn – apparently Lia was not just trying to be comforting, when she said the young princess looked beautiful.

"My Lady Sigyn, I have come to accompany you to the feast." Thor said.

"Oh.." was the sound that came out of Sigyn's mouth, before she shook her head slightly and continued; "forgive me, my Lord.. I am just surprised – I did not know you would be escorting me."

"Then I must apologise." Thor said as he bowed his head, "I thought you had been told."

"No.. no, you do not need to apologise. Like I said; I am merely surprised, that is all." Sigyn said quickly, fearing the Prince had taken what she said as a rejection.

Thor looked at her, his expression seemingly brighter, "Then, shall we, Princess?" He asked as he made a gesture with his right arm.

"We certainly shall, my Prince." She said with a teasing smile, as she walked towards the Prince and linked her left arm with his, before the pair left the room.

As they walked down the many halls to where the feast was being held, they talked of what they had each spend the day doing; Sigyn told Thor how she had simply studied a book in the library for most of the day – leaving out the detail of her encounter with his younger brother. And Thor told her, in vivid detail, of how he had been sparring with Lady Sif and The Warriors Three on the training grounds behind the Palace – obviously beating all of them. Admittedly, Sigyn found the subject of sparring to be quite boring. Yes, she knew how to use a sword and a bow and arrow, but hearing about combat and simple training was not something she found great pleasure in. So when the Prince stopped talking, she quickly changed the subject to something that had been on her mind since she was told of the feast:

"Will there be many guests at the feast?" She asked, trying to control the slight tremble her voice held.

"There will be quite a few, yes." Thor answered before he looked at her and noticed how she tensed. "Nervous?" He asked, raising a brow.

"What, no... no, not at all." Sigyn assured him promptly, but then quickly reconsidered and decided to be honest with him; "well, yes... a bit."

Thor nodded. "It is understandable." He said simply, "after all everyone will be curious about the latest addition to the Palace – let alone one, who is already royalty." He then gave her arm a tiny nudge, "but you needn't worry; I will look after you."

Sigyn looked up at him and couldn't help but let out the smallest of giggles at his last statement. "I appreciate it, my Lord." She said wearing a kind smile.

They made a stop before two large golden doors and Sigyn realised they had arrived at their destination – the Banquet Hall. Then she heard the prince's and her own name being announced on the other side of the doors; _here we go,_ she thought, taking in a deep breath to calm herself, as the doors in front of her were opened.

As they entered, Sigyn's eyes travelled over the crowds and she noticed how many of the people leaned towards one another most likely 'exchanging opinions' on her. She tried her best to keep a calm façade and did what she could to keep the smile on her face, but it was hard; not one of these people were looking at her with even the smallest amount of approval, liking or even compassion showing on their faces.

Sigyn's eyes searched the crowds desperate to find a friendly face, when finally she found one – no, not one.. two. Sif and Idunn stood a little further into the large Banquet Hall, both giving Sigyn encouraging smiles, and suddenly she found herself relax a bit more, while the brave smile she had tried so desperate to hold on to were now turning into a genuine smile as she once more dared to look over the crowds, content knowing she could find comfort in Sif and Idunn if she needed to.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

After what seemed like hours of mingling and introductions everyone was finally gathered around the long table, eating. Sigyn was, of course, seated next to Thor and on her other side was Fandral, who himself had Sif on his other side – no doubt to make sure he behaved well – and across from Sigyn sat Loki.

Currently Thor was busy stuffing his face with the delicious food, in a manner that would make one think he hadn't eaten for weeks. He was so busy with his ingestion that Sigyn doubted he was even listening to the conversation taking place around him.

"So tell me, dear Lady Sigyn, do you find Asgard to be very different from Vanaheim?" Fandral asked.

"I must admit I have not seen enough of Asgard to give you an answer." Sigyn replied simply.

"Oh, that is a shame." Fandral said and leaned a bit closer to her, "if you wish it, I could take you on a tour of Asgard," he then said, raising an eyebrow in a suggestive manner.

"Thank you so much for the offer.." Sigyn replied, before taking a big gulp from her glass, whilst trying to think of a gentle way to say 'no'.

"We could all go together," Sif suddenly said, from the other side of Fandral, to Sigyn's great relief, "we could make an outing of it." Sif saw relief plastered over Sigyn's face and smiled, "it would be so much fun."

"Yes." Sigyn agreed promptly, "that is a wonderful idea. It would give me the opportunity to get to know all of you better," she said, her eyes subconsciously moving to the man sitting across from her; until she noticed him watching her, then her eyes quickly went to her empty plate.

"Wonderful." Sif exclaimed, "so you and I.." she pointed at them, counting; "and Fandral?" He nodded, though a sour expression was on his face. "And Thor.. Thor is always up for an outing," Sif continued, "and Volstagg and Hogun, will want to come too, no doubt.." she looked across the table, her desire not to include Loki itching in her mind, "and Loki.. would you like to come as well?" She asked.

Loki's eyes shifted from Sigyn to Sif and he thought for a moment before answering; "that would depend entirely on when the outing is going to take place." His face was completely emotionless and impossible to read, "if I have nothing planned then I don't see why not."

"Lovely." Sif replied with a smile, that Sigyn could tell was forced.

Fandral cleared his throat before he started to speak once more; "Lady Sigyn, Lady Sif tells me you are living in the West Wing with her and Lady Idunn."

"Indeed I am." Sigyn replied.

"Do you not find it unnerving to be living there?" He asked in what seemed to be a concerned tone.

Sigyn was confused by his question, "why would I find it unnerving?"

"Well in case of an attack on the Palace, I mean." He said matter-of-factly.

"I must admit it had not crossed my mind." Sigyn answered simply before looking past Fandral, at Sif; "but I am sure if an attack were to happen, Lady Sif would do her best to defend Lady Idunn and myself."

Sif smiled warmly at Sigyn. Indeed this was a lasting friendship in the making. Fandral found himself slightly put off by Sigyn's reply, but non the less he continued:

"Well, if you ever need protection from another person than Lady Sif.. or need help with anything at all, we, The Warriors Three, live in the Northwest Wing, which is very close to the West Wing.

Sigyn fought the need to roll her eyes and in stead smiled sweetly at Fandral, "that is very good to know, kind Sir." she said in an almost sickeningly sweet voice, before emptying her almost full glass of wine; _this is going to be a long evening,_ she thought.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

After dessert and another round of introductions and polite mingling, on the arm of a slightly drunk Thor, Sigyn found herself in need of some fresh air, and went to an empty balcony she had spotted earlier.

The Kingdom rested in the dim twilight as the Sun had nearly set, but even in dusk Sigyn found the Kingdom a breathtaking sight. In Vanaheim all that could be seen from the Palace were trees – unless it was a clear day and one went to the highest tower; then it was possible to spot the nearest village, resting on a small hill, just outside the great forest.

Sigyn let out a heavy sigh; she really did like it here in Asgard, so far at least, but she felt so overwhelmed with everything – she had only been there for a day and already she had begun her training, attended a feast, nearly plumbed to her death from a ladder, and met more people than she would be able to remember after a good night's sleep; especially after having drunk several glasses of wine, while enduring Fandral's many, _many_ tales. She found herself yearning for her chambers or a walk in one of the gardens.. or another glass of wine.

She cast one last look over the balcony before deciding to go back in and find something to drink, however as she turned around she stopped abruptly as someone approached her from inside the Banquet Hall.

"I thought perhaps you needed something to drink?" The youngest of the princes said as he held a glass of wine out before him.

"I.. yes, thank you." She said as she took the glass from his hand and quickly took a sip, before regarding him once more, "it is as if you read my mind." She teased.

"I assure you, I did not." He said simply. "Mind-reading is a trade I have yet to master," he added with a smirk.

"That is very good to know." Sigyn said with a laugh, as her eyes rested on the Prince's face, as he looked out onto Asgard, and silence fell between the pair.

She found herself gazing at those emerald green eyes of his. She had never seen eyes that green before. Her eyes travelled over him, taking in his appearance properly for the first time, since she'd met him yesterday. His appearance – like his personality, it would seem – was a mystery; Sigyn knew that the 'standard' in Asgard was for people to have a light hair colour and blue eyes, yet the Prince had green eyes and hair as black as a raven – not to mention his skin being even lighter than any other person she had laid eyes on so far. _Maybe it has to do with his magic,_ she thought, after all, for the people of Vanaheim, having darker hair was not uncommon and many Vanir possessed some sort of magical ability; maybe the two things were linked, _I'll have to look that up in a book._

When Loki's eyes eventually shifted back to look at Sigyn, she was still starring intently at him, and she quickly turned around and slowly walked away from the prince, so he wouldn't notice the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Are you enjoying the feast?" She asked him, while she still stood back turned to him and regarded Asgard once more.

"It is like most feasts held here.." He answered simply and walked slowly towards her, "which is quite a few."

"Forgive me, I just thought you seemed a bit.." she sought for the right word; _melancholic, sad, bored, distant, gloomy;_ "quiet?" Was the word she offered, not being able to find a better one.

The Prince let out a huff of air, which could easily be mistaken for a withheld laugh, before answering; "I merely choose not to speak, unless I have something I _wish_ to say."

Sigyn shifted her gaze to look at him; "I cannot deny, that is a trait I would have liked some of the other guests to possess."

"And who would that be?" He asked.

Sigyn looked up at him. _Oh, you know perfectly well who I'm talking about,_ she thought, when she saw his bemused expression.

"A certain gentleman sitting next to me." She answered in a teasing tone.

"Ah, I see.. my brother, then?" Loki mocked.

"Oh, you know perfectly well I'm speaking of Fandral!" Sigyn exclaimed. "You were there!"

Before Loki could say anything a slightly slurred voice came from behind him; "did someone say my name?" Fandral asked as he approached the pair, and clapped Loki's shoulder, "Loki, how are the rest of us suppose to make an impression on Princess Sigyn, if you steal her for yourself?"

Loki raised an eyebrow at the warrior's comment; "I'm sure you managed to make quite an impression over dinner, Fandral."

Sigyn let out a small giggle. "That you did, dear Sir Fandral.. if the two of you will excuse me, I shall go and join the party once more." she said and curtseyed, before walking past the two men and back into the Banquet Hall. It wasn't that she didn't like Fandral; in fact she thought he seemed nice, but the problem was that the more wine and mead he had to drink, the more he seemed to make advances at her. She had noticed Thor had done the same, but he was nowhere near as bad as Fandral.

As she walked in to the Banquet Hall and laid eyes on the amount of guests, she couldn't help but take in a deep breath; _here we go again,_ she thought.

* * *

_**AN:** Please let me know what you think, as I myself am kind of torn with this one.. parts of it I like.. parts of it I hate =I_  
_When I wrote it I thought a lot of it seemed out of character, but at the same time Norse Gods are known to have huge feasts where they get VERY pissed (as in drunk, not angry - though they do that too, occasionally) so obviously being drunk would make them act differently as well, so..._

_Oh and a thing about something I wrote in an earlier author's note about the age; I said I imagined this taking place 10-13 years after the prologue - obviously that would be in regards to their visual appearance... it has obviously been several hundred years, as Norse Gods don't age the same way "Mortals" do.. =)_

_Anyway, as I said at the top, the next chapter should enlighten you in Sigyn's lack of memories of Asgard, so stay tuned!  
_

_Oh yes, and one last thing; should you have any ideas for something you want to see in the story (certain scenes, general thing.. anything you can think of really) don't hesitate to tell me in a review, or a PM - I don't bite, and I love getting inspiration from the people who actually enjoy reading this. =)_

_And finally as always; reviewing, fav'ing and alert'ing makes me a happy bunny! x)_


	7. Chapter Six

**AN:**_ Another chapter ready to be shared - at least as ready as I am able to make it myself, which brings me to an inquiry: I really feel like I could use a beta-reader.. any volunteers? Feel free to send me a PM if you want! ;)_

_Thanks to: SailorVeegan, TwilightTwihardFanFictioner, portlandia21 and H. Lokidottir, who reviewed on the last chapter; your comments makes my day(s)! ...and also thanks to those who added to Fav/Alert; that obviously means LOADS to me as well! =)_

_Anyway, a warning; I KNOW some of you (hopefully not all) will be disappointed with the reason for Sigyn's memory loss, but do not fret; I could be going somewhere with this. =P ...and now, onto the story (and a lot more Loki than previously):_

* * *

**Chapter Six – Rationalising and Remembrance**

Early the next morning Loki was in his chambers, sitting at his desk, hands folded neatly beneath his chin. He hadn't been able to fall asleep the night before – in fact he had barely slept since Sigyn had arrived in Asgard.

Intelligent as he was, the Prince rarely found himself to be confused, but since Sigyn's arrival the feeling of confusion had been almost constantly present in his mind. It made no sense; why did she not remember him?... or Asgard for that matter? She had spend most of her childhood in the Realm, surely one did not just forget such a thing. But did that mean she was lying, then? _No.. impossible,_ he thought to himself; he had seen the genuine confusion on her face, when he had approached her the night of her arrival. And anyway, Sigyn had always been a very poor liar.

The Prince leaned forward a bit and reached out his left hand to pick up a small flower standing alone in a tiny crystal vase at the back of his desk. He twirled it between his thumb and index-finger, and as he did so the thin layer of dust, which had rested on the pedals, fell onto the desk; it had been a very long while since he had last picked up the flower from it's resting place.

As he took in the tremble of the pedals, caused from his twisting of it between his fingers, he could feel his frustration grow; for centuries this flower – this little token of sentiment – had rested on his desk, along with the hope of Sigyn's eventual return to Asgard, and over the years that hope had gotten smaller and smaller, until the point where it had almost completely vanished, and then finally she turns up; the girl – the _woman_ – he had treasured above everyone else, only to have no recollection of having ever known him.

Suddenly the Prince let out a growl as he crushed the flower in his hand and threw it to the floor and put his face in his palms, elbows resting on the desk in front of him. It felt as if his blood was boiling within him from the frustration; why did it matter so much? He had been nothing more than a young man, a _child_, when he had known her. It was normal to outgrow things one had been fond of during childhood, so why had he not been able to outgrow the idea of her?

Loki shook his head at his own thoughts; he knew very well why. She had been the one friend he had had to himself, without having to share with his older brother. And where everybody else found his magic to be nothing but a nuisance, she had treasured it.

Out of nowhere there was a knock on Loki's door, and without having told the person outside to enter, he heard the door open and looked up only to see the face of his mother peaking inside. When the Queen saw her son sitting at his desk she gave him a kind smile, and entered the chamber.

"Good morning, Mother." The Prince said and smiled at her, "what brings you here so early?"

The Queen walked over to her son and put a hand on his top of his head – a gesture she had always used on her sons – before she gently started stroking his hair, and looked down at him, worry dominating her features; "what is troubling you, dear?" she asked in a soft voice.

Loki was slightly taken aback by her question, "I don't know what you mean, Mother," he answered in a very convincing voice, "nothing is troubling me."

The Queen sighed and looked at him, nothing but kindness showing on her face, "Loki, I am your mother.." she said, "I am perfectly capable of seeing when you're hurting. Please tell me what it is; I may be able to help you."

The Prince looked up at his mother and regarded her for a moment; "if only you could, Mother.." he said before his gaze shifted to the floor, and fell on the flower he had thrown down not long ago – a feeling of remorse spread within him, as he looked at the now crumbled flower.

"Would this have anything to do with Princess Sigyn?" The Queen asked.

Loki looked up at her, not able to hide the surprise he felt at her bold question. "H-how did you -" he didn't get to finish his question, before she replied:

"Like I said; I am your mother.. I know when you're hurting." She paused for a moment before continuing; "I am not blind, my dear. I have seen how you look at her. I have never seen you look at anyone like that before.."

Now the Prince didn't know what feeling to display; he felt ashamed for trying to hide the truth, embarrassed because his mother had apparently noticed how he looked at Sigyn different than anyone else, but at the same time the sadness he felt grew stronger, and with it the anger of her lacking memories. "She does not remember me." He stated in an almost inaudible voice.

"You knew her when she lived in Asgard?" The Queen asked.

"I did, yes." He replied simply, his voice still very quiet. A realisation hit him almost as soon as he answered and he looked up at his mother in surprise; "you knew she was _from_ Asgard?"

"Yes, her mother was one of my dearest friends when they lived in Asgard.. and we have stayed in contact ever since they went to Vanaheim." The Queen told him.

"I take it you knew of her lacking memories of Asgard, then?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

The Queen said nothing, but nodded at her son.

"Why does she not remember?" Loki asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"I do not know the specifics of it all, but I was told that upon arriving in Vanaheim, Princess Sigyn had a troubled mind; she would not eat or talk to anyone, she practically sealed herself in her chambers and her mother started to fear for her health as the condition only worsened and finally the King and Queen decided to have one of the Realm's most powerful magicians help them." The Queen took in her son's thoughtful expression before continuing; "the magician was to relieve Princess Sigyn of what ever was troubling her mind, but for some reason, whether it be by mistake or not, he stripped her of all memories of Asgard; her childhood, her father... you."

As his mother stopped talking, Loki shifted his gaze from her face to let his eyes rest on the floor again. "But.. why did they not make this _magician_ reverse the spell once they realised what had happened?" He wondered aloud.

"They tried, but he told them it was not possible." She answered, "I believe they even tried to have other magicians and healers try to change her mind back to how it was, but it could not be done."

"So she will never remember..." Loki stated, his voice filled with disappointment and sorrow.

The Queen crouched down before her son and took his hands – it was a rare sight, even for her, to see him without any kind of barrier shielding off his emotions. She kept his hands in hers as she looked up into his eyes and said: "My dear, do not let this become a reason for you to distance yourself from her. You should get to know her as she is now; I am certain you will come to like her as much as you did as a child."

The Prince simply nodded and his mother stood back up and turned to leave the room – she could tell from his expression and silence that he needed some time alone to think over what she had said.

As soon as the large door closed behind his mother, Loki put his elbows back on top of the desk, once again holding his face in his hands. What should he do now? His mother suggested he should get to know her again, and admittedly he found the idea very appealing, but.. what if Sigyn was no longer the same person she had been? _Fool, she is; you can tell she is,_ he heard himself think. And it was true; he didn't have any doubt that she was still the girl he had known; the one who made him laugh, who had always made him feel better when Thor or his friends had given him a hard time and most importantly the one person, whom he had never doubted accepted him for who he was.

He uncovered his face and turned his head to look at the crumbled flower on the floor, that same feeling of remorse forcing its way into the pit of his stomach and in an instant he had made the flower disappear from the floor only to reappear in the palm of his hand. He made a swift movement with his other hand and the crumbled flower started to move; changing back to how it had looked before he had crushed it – fresh as the day she had given it to him.

After staring at the flower for a while he leaned forward to put it back in the crystal vase, it had occupied on his desk for years, his mind racing over all his memories of Sigyn; it was funny, he hadn't seen the girl for so many years and yet all his memories of her were as fresh as if they had only taken place a day ago – even the first time he had met her stood clearly in his mind.

_Loki was walking through the forest; he was headed towards the meadow that lay on the other side of the forest. The young prince often went there to practice his magic undisturbed, and as he had never come across another person in the meadow, it was the perfect place. _His_ place. At least it had been until this day._

_As the meadow slowly came into view, a sound that wasn't normally there reached his ears. Usually the meadow was very peaceful; a few birds would sing at times, but that was it – and the sound the prince heard now was definitely _not_ that of a bird singing._

_When Loki reached the end of the forest he saw where the sound was coming from; a girl was sitting in the middle of the meadow, hugging her legs in front of her. Loki walked slowly towards her, noticing her thick braid of dark red hair, and as he got closer he could hear that she was weeping. He regarded her for a second before clearing his throat:_

"_Are you hurt?" He asked confused; she didn't look hurt._

_The girl lifted her head from her knees and looked at him; "n-n-no-o." She murmured._

"_Then why are you crying?" The prince asked curiously as he stared into her purple eyes, shining with tears._

"_My fa-ather died.." she said, attempting – and failing – to keep er voice steady, and new tears started streaming down her face, as she buried it in her knees once more._

"_Oh." Loki said, obviously shocked at the reason behind her tears. "I'm sorry for your loss."_

_The girl didn't react; she just kept weeping into her knees._

"_Do you want to see a trick?" Loki asked after a while, not knowing what else to say to the girl in front of him._

_The girl sniffled a bit before she lifted her head to look at him again; "what kind of trick?" She asked, her eyes still glistering from the tears._

"_A _magic_ trick." Loki stated with a proud smirk._

_To his surprise the girl's face lit up and she turned so she was facing him completely, as Loki sat down, thinking over what trick he should show her. Quickly an idea hit him and he reached out and plucked a blue flower from the ground, showed it to the girl and then he closed his hands around it and squeezed his eyes together in concentration, while the girl fiddled with her long red braid in anticipation._

"_Now look at this." Loki said as he opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, hoping the trick had worked. He lifted one of his hands to reveal a blue butterfly sitting in the palm of his other hand._

"_Wow!" The girl exclaimed in amazement before reaching out to check if the butterfly was real – which indeed it was. "I've never seen anything so spectacular before!" She said; Loki noticed that the sadness had disappeared from her voice._

"_Really?" He asked excitedly at her compliment._

_The girl nodded eagerly in response._

"_That was nothing." He said simply._

_At that statement the girl look almost embarrassed at her own excitement over something that was apparently 'nothing'. She went silent for a few moments before opening her mouth to ask him a question:_

"_What's your name?"_

"_What's_ your_ name?" He asked back; fearing she would run off if she knew he was the prince._

"_I'm Sigyn." She answered with a big smile. "Now you!"_

_As Loki still didn't reply she pressed on him again:_

"_Please tell me your name.. ple_eeeeee_ase?" She begged as only a young child could._

"_I'm Loki." He finally answered as he looked down, preparing himself for her to run away._

"_Oh." She said with a hint of surprise. "Loki. I like that name; 'Loki' … Loki, will you please do another trick?"_

_He looked up at her in surprise before a genuine smile graced his features; "of course." He told her and considered for a moment what trick to do next. A few seconds later he looked back up at her, "can I borrow a hair of yours?"_

_She looked at him sceptically for a moment and Loki was sure she would say no, but then all of a sudden she reached up to her head and pulled out a hair that was hanging loosely by her braid and then handed it to him._

_He placed the hair in the palm of his hand, like he had done with the flower and squeezed his eyes shot again; this trick was harder than the one he had done for her before – in fact he had yet to succeed with this trick._

_Suddenly he felt something move in his hands and as he lifted one hand he opened his eyes and saw a brown worm moving around in his hand._

"_Eeeew!" Sigyn exclaimed, but immediately she realised that Loki might mistake it and quickly added; "I mean.. it's an impressive trick! _Very_ impressive! The worm is just a bit.. disgusting!"_

_Loki threw the worm away from them and looked down frowning._

"_Are you upset?" Sigyn asked in confusion, "it really was impressive!"_

_Loki mumbled something incoherently and Sigyn leaned a bit closer to him, asking him to repeat it._

"_It was suppose to be a snake!" He said aloud still wearing a frown on his face, "..not a worm." _

_Sigyn couldn't stop the laugh from escaping her lips. Loki looked up at her, his frown easing until it vanished and he joined in on her laughter._

_As their laughter slowly vanished Sigyn looked up at the boy in front of her, "Thank you." She said with a very serious face that held a gentle smile._

"_What for?" Loki asked slightly confused and taken aback by her sudden seriousness._

_Her gaze fell to the ground and she started running one of her hands over the top of the grass before she answered: "For making me forget."_

* * *

**AN:**_ Not how I originally intended to end this chapter, but I just thought the whole melancholia/tragic irony(/however you see it) fit so well with that last sentence._

_I choose not to let you know how I feel about this one, but I hope you enjoyed it. My mind is being infested by tiredness as I write this, so I hope there wasn't too much OOC-ness - and if there was I'll justify it by reminding you that this takes place years before the events in "Thor" =)_

_Oh, and as far as age goes in the flashback I'll say that Loki is around 9-10 (appearance-vice at least, cause I imagine them ageing slower as children as well, though not as slowly as when they hit adulthood, obviously.. - and he would be mature for his age!) which means Sigyn is about 2 years younger - that is what I wrote earlier is it not? (goes back to check)_

_As always; reviews makes me a happy bunny! =D_


	8. Chapter Seven

AN: _First of all: I am so so SO sorry for the (far too long) wait! Lots of non-fiction, non-internet stuff has been going on the last few weeks, and as if that wasn't enough I'd reached a point in the story where I didn't know how to get from one "section" to the other - so in a way I suppose this is sort of a filler, though it was also planned to happen... it's all a big bowl of timey-wimey stuff really, don't give it too much thought! So something that was suppose to happen in the story at some point ended up in this chapter, which is a lot earlier than I anticipated.. oh well, it may be for the better.  
I'm hoping I can make up for the long wait by, hopefully, updating again later this week - but I can't promise anything.. just know I'll try my best!_

_Anyways, thank you so much to _Mary Brazil_,_ TwilightTwihardFanFictioner_, _H. Lokidottir_ and_ Jenny Joker_ for reviewing on Chapter Six. And thanks to everyone who's read the story, added to fav'-list and/or subscribed - I love you all!  
_

_And now; onwards:_

* * *

**Chapter Seven – An Outing**

The following couple of days passed quickly; Sigyn spend most of her time either reading about healing or getting fed information on the subject by Lady Snotra. What little time she had had to spare, she had used either in the company of Sif and Idunn, or reading her Midgardian fairytale books.

Loki hadn't approached Sigyn since his mother had told him the reason behind her amnesic mind. He still hadn't decided whether he would pursue her friendship again or just leave it the past; one moment he would decide that it was for the best to just leave her alone, and the next he would change his mind and practically stalk towards her chambers until realising that it would probably just scare her off if he turned up unannounced in her chambers.. again.

The day of the outing Sigyn and Sif had agreed to go on had finally arrived. The party would consist of the two women, the Warriors Three and Thor - Idunn had been invited to come with them as well, but she had declined saying that she wanted to spend some time with Bragi; though, according to Sif, the real reason was more likely to be that Idunn didn't enjoy spending time outside - apart from the in Palace Gardens, which she loved to spend time in. Sigyn remembered Sif had invited Loki to come as well; she suspected that he was not coming as she hadn't heard more on the subject since - in fact she had barely had a chance to lay eyes on the Prince since the feast a few days back. Admittedly Sigyn found it strange; apart from Sif and Idunn, Loki was the person she had spend the most time talking to since her arrival in Asgard, and then suddenly she hadn't seen him at all for days, which, if she was to be honest, did not suit her well, because even though she hadn't known him for long, she enjoyed being around him - at least she had thus far - he wasn't the most talkative person, but when he did say something Sigyn found herself unable to ignore it, even if she had wanted to do so.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

Sif and Sigyn were walking to the stables; they were to go on their trip on horseback, but Sigyn had yet to find a horse. Upon entering the stables Sigyn saw rows of horses of various colours lined up. She didn't know where to start and where to end, or if she was even allowed to choose whichever horse she wanted, luckily for her Sif was already talking to the Stable Master to find out which horses would be best to choose from.

Quickly the Stable Master had four horses lined up in front of Sigyn and Sif; each of them a different colour.

"This one is named Dagný" the Stable Master said as he stood padding the back of the enormous black horse, "she's a mare, and though she's a bit on the large side, she's a very calm creature."

Sigyn and Sif both nodded as the Stable Master went to the next, slightly smaller, horse:

"This one here is the only stallion I've picked for you, milady" he said and padded the back of the white horse as he had done the black a moment before. "His name is Forni, he's got a bit of a temperament compared to Dagný, but he's an impressive steed; the fastest of all our horses."

Once more the women merely nodded as the Stable Master moved to the third horse:

"Arnfasta." The Stable Master stated. "I admit I wasn't sure whether or not to include her for you to choose from.."

"Why not?" Sigyn asked now slightly intrigued as she stepped closer to the chestnut mare. "She's a beauty."

"That she is, milady, there's no denying" he agreed, "however she's a stubborn girl, this one. You cannot force her to go somewhere if she does not agree ... That said, she is also a very loyal creature."

Sigyn stroked the horse's face. "Arnfasta" she said silently and the horse seemed to move it's head into her touch. "I will take her." Sigyn said.

"Are you sure, milady?" the Stable Master asked.

"Absolutely." She said with a confident smile.

"As milady wishes." He said and bowed his head. "If she turns out to be too much trouble you can come back and we'll find you another -"

"I'm sure her and I will do perfectly well together, but yes, if she turns out to be too large a handful I will of course return her to you."

Not long after, Sif and Sigyn found themselves in the courtyard waiting for the men to join them so they could be on their way. Thor was the first to arrive, quickly followed by Hogun and Volstagg before Fandrall eventually joined them as well.

"Shall we?" Sif asked gesturing towards the gates.

"A moment, dear Sif." Thor said, "it would not be polite of us to leave before Loki joins us."

"Oh, I thought he wasn't coming." Sif answered surprised.

"He told me not half an hour ago that he would come." Thor told her, "he had to finish something first."

"So are we to wait for him all day?" Sif asked, clearly displeased that the youngest prince had chosen to join them after all.

"Now, now, Lady Sif," came the smug voice of Loki from behind, "I am merely a few minutes late, but if you are offended, then I apologise profoundly."

Sif huffed in annoyance before making her horse move towards the gates, quickly followed by the others.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

They rode for hours, occasionally taking a break to stretch their legs, before they arrived at, what Sigyn expected to be, their destination. They were on a hill top that had a wonderful view over a village on one side and mountains on the other side. Sigyn took in a deep breath in astonishment; Asgard really was exceptionally beautiful.

"We should set up camp under that tree." Sigyn heard Thor say in the background.

"Camp?" She asked.

"Aye, camp." Thor said. "Did you think we would be going back to the Palace tonight?"

"No, I.. I suppose I had not given it much thought." Sigyn stated.

Sif walked up to Sigyn and put a hand on her shoulder, "do not worry, Sigyn, I asked your handmaid to pack some clean clothes for you." She said and gave Sigyn a kind smile.

"Oh. Thank you, Sif." Sigyn answered, slightly surprised by the warrior's gesture. After a moment of silence, a thought came to her; "so.. how long will we be gone for?"

"A day, maybe two. That depends on whether we enjoy ourselves or not, if the weather stays fine.. if Loki decides to pull pranks on us." Sif answered, once more not letting her tone hide her dislike for the youngest prince.

"Do not speak like that, dear Sif," Thor said calmingly and looked in the direction of his younger brother, "I'm certain Loki will behave himself."

Sigyn's gaze fell upon the younger prince, who was out of ear-range and busy setting up the large tent; using magic, of course.

"I hope you are right, Thor." Sif sighed before turning away from Sigyn and Thor, "I'll go and ask Volstagg and Hogun to catch us something to eat."

"A brilliant idea indeed, Sif." Thor said before he too walked away from Sigyn, joining his younger brother; Sigyn noticed how Thor put his hand on Loki's shoulder before leaning closer to him and telling him something Sigyn couldn't hear, though she couldn't help but assume it would have to do with the exchange Thor and Sif had just engaged in.

*****S***L***S***L***S*****

Volstagg and Hogun had returned with two dead boars, which they prepared on spears over the large fire Sif had assembled, whilst Fandrall, who was supposed to help Sif, had spend his time making advances at Sigyn, who did her best not to display her annoyance; though when the two men returned she couldn't hold back a sigh of relief.

After the group finished eating and the darkness started to emerge Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three thought it would be a nice change from their normal training to do some sparring with the fire as the only source of light. As soon as the idea of sparring had come in to play, Loki had retired himself to the tent to read and Sigyn found herself sitting alone at the fire. For a long time the young princess just sat there staring into the flames, contemplating.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly felt someone sitting down on the ground next to her. It was Loki.

"Did I disturb you?" He asked.

"No, no, not at all. I was just.. thinking." She answered quickly.

"What of?" He asked with interest.

"Lots of things; how much have happened in the last few days. My family, my home." She answered with her gaze still on the flames in front of her, before she turned to face Loki, "whether they intend to spar with each other for the entire trip." She added with a grin.

Loki smirked, "ahh,_ that_, I fear they do intend to." He said.

"Then I fear I shall die of boredom before we leave." Sigyn said rolling her eyes.

"Not fond of sparring, are you?" Loki asked with a risen eyebrow.

Sigyn leaned closer to him and lowered her voice, "between the two of us: I think it is the most dreadful thing in all of the Nine Realms to witness. I find no pleasure in watching people I care for, trying to defeat each other and most likely get hurt in the process."

"I see." Loki said and nodded, as silence fell between them and they both watched the flames dance before them.

"How is your healing training going, if I may ask?" Loki asked after a while.

"Oh, very well." Sigyn answered with a smile, "I actually managed to make Lady Snotra speechless for a moment.. thanks to that book you gave me." She couldn't help but giggle at the memory.

"I would have loved to see her speechless - believe me that is indeed something that rarely happens." Loki said. "Has she allowed you to heal anyone yet?"

"No, no, no.. no." Sigyn answered quickly and looked down at her hands in slight embarrassment, "I.. I don't actually know how to control it yet. The few times I've healed anyone it just kind of.. happened on it's own."

"Really?" Loki's interest peaked, "That is fascinating."

"Are you mocking me?" Sigyn asked sceptically.

"Why would you think that?" Loki asked seemingly confused. "No. Truthfully, that would suggest that you have much potential for practising magic in general - especially because healing magic is so rare. Have you tried doing any other kind of magic?"

"I.. ehm.. no, I have not." She answered, stunned by what he had just told her.

"What a shame, I'm sure you would be a natural at it." He complimented.

Sigyn didn't know what to say - she could, however, feel her cheeks beginning to go red and quickly moved her gaze back onto the fire.

"I.. I could teach you - if you want?" Loki suggested carefully, his voice suddenly less confident than it had been moments ago.

Sigyn's face shifted to look at the Prince, "why would you want to do that?" She asked confused, "I mean; surely you must have more interesting things to do than trying to teach me magic."

"Yes. Trying to _teach_ someone magic would be nearly impossible.. but _you_ already have magic, you just have to learn how to control it. That is what I am offering to help you with."

"I don't know.." Sigyn said, more to herself than to him.

"At least promise me you will consider it." He told her as he took her hand and brought it to his lips and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles, before he stood up and left her to her thoughts once again.

* * *

AN:  
_So.. not exactly overly fond with this chapter.. as I mentioned in the above note this chapter was a way for me to get from one part of the story to the next (*cough*filler*cough*) ..but hopefully you weren't as disappointed with it as I am =P_

_Pleeeeease leave a review - even if it's to tell me it sucked! Constructive critisism is ALWAY welcome (no matter how much it may hurt my pride =P) ... oh and by-the-by; I still don't have a Beta-reader, so if anyone's up for it.. well, let me know =)_


End file.
